Tension mechanism and yarn support for knitting



June 22, 1954 .1. HARNEY 2,681,772

TENSION MECHANIVSM AND YARN SUPPORT FOR KNITTING Filed Aug. 4, 1952(fase/bf2 arzzeq Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES TENSION MECHANISMAND YARN SUPPORT FOR KNITTING Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in the preparation of handknitted articles. More particularly the invention relates to atensioning mechanism which will eliminate the major cause of diicultyencountered by novices in the art of knitting, and which will greatlyincrease the speed with which even the most experienced knitter isenabled to work.

The art of knitting is, of course, a very ancient one and has beenpracticed by persons of varying skill for centuries. One of the majorproblems in becoming a skilled knitter has been found tobe that ofkeeping proper tension on the yarn as it is put on the knitting needlesfrom the ball or skein which is the source of supply. The usualtechnique applied by knitters is that of wrapping several turns of theincoming yarn about the forenger of the left hand. The skilled knittermay then during the knitting process maintain a tension upon the yarnthrough his or her sense of feel as reected in the tightness of the yarnabout the forenger.

It, of course, becomes immediately apparent to those familiar with thedifferences in human beings that the tension applied by diiferentindividuals will be entirely diderent and the ability of differentindividuals to maintain a constant tension is likewise a definitevariable. This is, of course, particularly true in the case of beginnersin the art and a beginners work is generally very easily recognizable bythe unevenness of the tightness of the stitches in the finished article,a feature which appears in an unsightly series of loops and bunches inthe material.

`The present invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of a verysimple, inexpensively manufactured apparatus which will provide aconstant tension on the yarn as it is placed upon needles. sense of feelof the knitter is of no importance and the human factor of error in theknitting operation is therefore at a minimum.

In fulfilling the above requirements, I have con- 2,681,772 PATENTOFFICE sltion which will not interfere with the usual knitting motions.

Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of a noveltensioning mechanism having a very simple adjustment whereby the tensionmay be varied for various sizes and types of yarn materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tensioningdevice for knitters of the novice class whereby no skill whatever isneeded in maintaining the proper tension on the yarn at all times.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of acombined tensioning device, for maintaining the tension constant, andyarn holding spool whereby the knitter is freed from the worry of propertension and loose yarn.

According to the present invention the structed a tensioning devicewhich may be worn l by the knitter in a comfortable and convenient andnon-interfering position on the forefinger of the knitter. The wool yarnmay thus be passed through the tension device on the way to the needlesand may also, according to one species v herein disclosed, be carried bythe tensioning mechanism itself in a convenient position in back of theknitters hand.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide atensioning mechanism which f Other and further objects will readilyappear to those skilled in the art from the attached drawing anddescription thereof which disclose a preferred embodiment of myinvention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tension apparatus for use in knittingshowing a yarn holder combined therewith;

Figure 2 is an isometric View of the finished stamping forming thetensioning device without the integral yarn holder and showing the basicstamping alone with the yarn passing through the guide apertures;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank which is formed into theconstruction shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a modified version utilizing an extra yarn guide and asomewhat modified tensionplate locking arrangement;

Figure 5 is a further modification of the stamping utilized inmanufacturing my novel tensioning mechanism;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the tension plates utilized with theconstruction shown in Figures 2 and 3 Figure 7 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along the lines VII-VII of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is an isometric view of the preferred guide apertures used withmy invention.

As shown on the drawings:

As shown in Figure l, I have provided a ring portion I with an extendedtail-like extension 2. In the modification shown in Figure l thisextension 2 extends into a looped end 3 which is then passed verticallyupward or at any other suitable angle through a yarn holder generallyindicated at 4 and which comprises a central spindle 5 attached to thetail 3 and the loosely mounted end plates 6 and 1.

Soldered or otherwise permanently affixed to the ring l is a generallyvertical stud B which has a non-threaded portion 9 and a threadedportion IG which cooperates with an adjusting nut member Il. A pair ofclamping tension plates l2 are provided about the non-threaded portion 9and are maintained in compression against one another by means of aspring I3 which reacts against the adjusting nut H.

tension. In Figure 1 it is contemplated that the portion 9 be ofpolygonal configuration with polygonal openings being formedV inthe-members- I2 for cooperation therewith. Howevenl also contemplate theuse of alternative methods such as aligned notches in the rims of theclamping plates I2 with a vertical post attached to the ring II andplaced within the notches above menti'oned. This latter technique has anadvantage in that it provides yarn guides, a feature which will be morefully developed with respect to the modification shown in Figure 5, tobe discussed later.

As shown in Figure 1, the yarn I is drawn from the yarn holder 4 throughguide members YI5 and IS. As shown in Figure 1 these guides are attachedsecurely to the ring member I and are of the curled wire type whereinthe yarn may be placed through them by either passing it through theopening formed by the wire or by winding it through the side opening ofthe loops inthe well known manner.

As shown in Figure 2, I have provided a modification of the apparatusshown in Figure 1 which is. commercially extremely readily manufactured.AsV will further be noted the construction shown in Figure 2 haseliminated the yarn holding mechanism 4. While certain advantages are tobe gained by combining the yarn holder with the tensioning mechanismthere are many persons who would prefer to eliminate all possible excessweight from the device thereby making the independent tensioningmechanism a more desirable apparatus to such persons.

The apparatus as shown in Figure 2 is originally developed from thestamping shown in Figure 3. This stamping which is a very simple one andwhich lends itself admirably to being stamped from a continuous strip ofsheet metal, comprises a central body portion il with an extending tailportion I3. Adjustable finger ring members 20 and 2l also extend fromthe body Il at approximately the middle portion thereof. The yarn guidemembers 22 and 23 extend from the body portion I'l at diagonallyopposite corners thereof, At the lower left hand corner of the blank asviewed in Figure 3 I have provided a center post member 26 which has areduced area section 25 at its outer end.

This blank is bent into the form shown in the isometric drawing ofFigure 2 by bending the various extensions I9, 22', 23, 24`, along theindicated dotted lines. As shown in the dotted lines of Figure 3, afterthe member 24 has been folded back diagonally across the body Il, it isagain folded vertically upwardly at the dotted portion 24h. The portion25 is then threaded by means of conventional dies to accept a nut IIidentical to that shown in Figure 1. The general contour formed fromsmooth bends is shown in Figure 2 and may be modified somewhat to fitindividual finger dimensions or the angle of the extension tail I9 maybe changed to the position most comfortable for the knitter.

As shown at 2S, 2l and 28, the yarn guides are notched and perforated sothat the yarn may be inserted into the perforations from a lateraldirection thus eliminating the requirement for threading the yarnthrough the system. While the notches 2t, 2l and 28 may be a direct orslanted notch, itv is contemplated that a baffle notch such as thatshown in Figure 8 be utilized if desired.

While the materials utilized in the instant invention may, of course, beof any type, it is preferred that the lightest possible metals having asubstantial strength be utilized. One of the great advantages of theconstruction shown in Figures 2 and 3 is that this stamping requiresabsolutely no additional parts to be soldered to it. This renders iteasy to manufacture the device from aluminum or alloys thereof withoutthe expensive preparation required for soldering aluminum. It iscontemplated', therefore, that the construction shown in Figures 2 and 3utilize aluminum as the material, thus rendering an extremely lightunit.

Since the member 24 is of sheet stock, it will have a generallyrectangular cross-sectional area. By manufacturing the plate I2 in themanner shown in Figures 6 and 7, this maybe taken advantage of forpreventing rotation of the plates I2. Asis shown in Figure 6, theaperture through the center of plates I2 is formed in a rectangularcross-section. so as to conform with the crosssectional areaY of themember 24. A further slot 29 is formed in the peripheral edge of thelower member I2. This slot clears the ilat portion 24a shown in Figure 3and enables the lower plate I2V to sit flat upon the central portion Il.

. In the modification shown in Figure 4 an extra guide member 3) isprovided. This guide member has been found to aid in placing the yarn ina final position for somewhat easier use. By extending the guide 30somewhat down from and beyond the guide 23 the yarn by being drawnthrough the guide 30 will tend to position the tension mechanismbackwardly upon the lingers so that the arm I9 will position itselfrather closely alongv the back of the remaining fingers of the hand.This is a desirable feature, but in the interest of simplicity it may bedispensed with if desired.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, I have provided a somewhatdifferent type of locking means' for the plates i2. A projection 3l isformed at the lower left hand corner of the blank as shown in Figure 5.This projection is subsequently bent into a vertical direction andfolded backwardly upon itself to form the locking post Y as shown in thedotted lines in Figure 5. Besides performing the function of a lockingpost, this member also serves as a safety feature which prevents yarnfrom being pressed out from` between the plates I2. Some yarns are ofsuch a coarse and uneven nature that they will cause the upper plate I2to tilt somewhat as the yarn passes between the plates. This tiltingaction will tend to force the yarn radially outwardly so that it willbecome disassociated with the disks unless a member such as 3l is placedat the periphery thereof. While such a safety post is a necessity whenworking with heavy yarns, it has been found to be unnecessary whenworking with finer threads and yarns of the usual smooth texture.

It is, of course, contemplated that such safety post be utilized withany of the constructionsof Figures 1 through 4. A further method ofarriving at this result is shown in Figures 6 and 7 wherein the uppermember I2 has a slot I2a which cooperatesV with the linger IZb formed onthe lower plate l2. Since the plates i2 are held against rotation by theelongated aperture therethrough which cooperates with the member 2:4.

the member I2b will retain its angular position and operate as a safetypost in the same manner as the member 3l. The advantage that is obtainedthrough the arrangement shown in Figure 7 is that the safety post neednot form a part of the basic stamping, thereby allowing the productionof the basic stamping from the narrowest possible s'trip of sheet metal.While only one such safety post has been shown it is, of course,apparent that they may be placed at opposite sides of the plates I2 aswell as at only one side.

ln operation the iinger, preferably the forenger of the knitter, isplaced through the ring portion I with the tail portion 2 or I9 lyingagainst the back of the remaining three fingers serving as a guide. Theyarn is placed through the guide members I9, 22 and 23 by means of theslots in the sides thereof. In the case in which no safety posts areused, the yarn may readily be inserted laterally between the platemembers i2. However, if the mechanism is to be utilized with heavy yarn,the safety posts are required and threading of the yarn between theplates i2 requires that the upper plate be lifted above the top of thesafety posts so that the yarn may be inserted laterally between themembers l2. With the yarn in the threaded position, the knitter merelydraws the yarn as required through the mechanism to the needle, thusplacing a constant tension on the yarn as it is placed upon the needles.

lt is apparent from the disclosure recited above, that I have provided anovel and extremely useful apparatus for use in the process of handknitting. The construction has proved in practice to be an extremelydesirable and beneficial unit which eliminates, for all practicalpurposes, the human factor from knitting, thereby giving an even,professional look to the finished product even though the maker is anamateur and allowing the professional to greatly increase his speed.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention:

i. A tension device for use in knitting operations comprising, a centralring portion adapted to surround a finger of a person, iirst, second andthird guide means integral with Said ring portion and extendingoutwardly therefrom, a tension plate between rst and second of saidguides, spring means associated with said tension plate for applying thetension thereto and adjustment means for said spring whereby the tensionmay be varied, and an extension integral with said ring portion andextending laterally therefrom, said extension supporting a ball of yarn,whereby the yarn may be carried by said extension and passed throughsaid third, second and first guides and between said tension plates toprovide the knitter with a supply of yarn at the knitting needles, saidsupply being under constant adjusted tension.

2. A tensioning mechanism for use in hand knitting which comprises, asheet metal body member, said member comprising a pair of integral legsarcuately formed into finger-engaging portions, a rst guide memberintegral with and extending laterally from said body member, a secondguide member extending laterally from and integral with said bodymember, a projection extending vertically from said body member forcarrying a pair of tension plates, spring means for biasing said platestogether, adjusting means carried by said post for increasing thetension applied by said spring, and third guide means extending asubstantial distance from and integral with said body member wherebyyarn may be guided from a source of supply through said third guidemember to said second guide i ember and from there through saidtensioning means and said rst guide member to a position of use.

3. A sheet metal blank for use in forming a tensioning apparatuscomprising, a central flat body portion, a first guide member extendinga substantial distance from a corner of said central portion, a firstnger engaging portion extending from the side of said body portionparallel to said iirst guide portion, a second guide portion extendingparallel to said rst guide portion and at the other corner of said bodyportion, third guide means extending opposite to and in axial alignmentwith said iirst guide means, second finger-engaging portion meansextending from the opposite side oi said body member from said firstfinger-engaging portion and in axial alignment therewith, and a thirdlaterally extending portion adapted to be deformed for cooperation withtensioning apparatus.

4. A sheet metal blank for use in forming a tensioning devicecomprising, a central flat body portion, a first integral sheet metalguide arm extending from a corner of said central portion and having adeformable guide portion at its outer extremity, a first integral fingerengaging arm extending from the side of said body adjacent said firstguide arm, a second integral finger engaging arm extending from saidbody on the opposite side thereof from said rst finger engaging arm anda second guide arm integral with and extending from said body portionadjacent said second nger engaging arm and having a deformable guideportion at its outer extremity.

5. A sheet metal blank for use in forming a tensioning devicecomprising, a central flat sheet metal body portion, a iirst guide armintegral with and extending from a corner of said central portion andhaving a deformable guide portion at its extremity, a first integralfinger engaging arm extending from said body adjacent said first guidearm, a second integral finger engaging arm extending from said body onthe opposite side thereof from said first nger engaging arm, a secondguide arm extending from said body portion adjacent said second-fingerengaging arm and having a deformable guide portion at its outerextremity, and a third guide arm extending from said body portion at apoint adjacent one of said finger engaging arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 27,594 Landon Mar. 20, 1860 491,265 Ruby Feb. 7, 1893 602,522Richards Apr. 19, 1898 756,314 Ammerman Apr. 5, 1904 945,880 WardwellJan.. 11, 1910 1,386,515 Larson Aug. 2, 1921 1,534,264 Hanson Apr. 21,1925 2,021,946 Riely Nov. .26, 1935 2,313,684 Thulin Mar. 9, 1943FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date '7,129 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1912

